Dear Angela, I never really approved of my son’s girlfriend, but kept my mouth shut cause I didn’t think it was serious. This weekend, he announced to the family that he would be proposing to her. My husband told me to stay out of it, but I want to be honest with my son. What do I do? – Concerned Mother
Dear Mom: Does your son really need your approval to marry his girlfriend? I mean, yes, I’m sure he would like his mother to be happy about finding his partner, but honestly, he’s going to marry her, with or without your blessing. Your husband is correct. OPEN your mind to accepting her as part of your family and keep your mouth CLOSED. He is your child, but he’s also a grown man. If he’s making a mistake, it is his to make.
Angela, the guy I’m talking to is always so sweet and basically perfect every time we hang out and go on dates. And though he constantly invites me out, my friend recently pointed out that I always instigate the talking. If I don’t text or call him—he doesn’t bother with contacting me. Is this a red flag? – Confused
Confused: You are serving yourself up on a silver platter for him. There’s no opportunity for him to pursue or even miss you. If you want a definitive answer on whether he really digs you or is just hanging out with you because there is nothing better on the agenda, then go dark. As in, don’t text or call him for two weeks. If he doesn’t make contact, you have your answer. If he does, it’s your first step at reversing the too-easily-available pattern. Make him work a little for your attention from now on.
Do you have a question for Angela? E-mail NakedTruth@bocamag.com!
About Angela Lutin:
Angela Lutin is Essentially Angela. Blogger, Advice Columnist and Dating Guru for the social media age—decoding modern love one tweet, text, and like at a time. Angela’s dating advice column, “The Naked Truth,” appears exclusively each week on bocamag.com and in each issue of Boca Ratonmagazine. Her work appears regularly on the Huffington Post. She can been seen on MTV’s “Made” and Bravo’s hit show, “Millionaire Matchmaker.” Crafting personal dating makeovers for her clients, Angela also maintains a private practice, which turns the romantically challenged into the relationship-inclined. Follow Angela on Facebook or Twitter.
